Page turning device

ABSTRACT

A PAGE TURNING DEVICE AND A MANUSCRIPT FOR USE THEREWITH WHICH COMPRISES A STAND FOR SUPPORTING THE MANUSCRIPT. SAID STAND CARRIES A LEVER WHICH IS PIVOTALLY MOVABLE FOR CYCLIC OPERATION EFFECTIVE TO TURN A PAGE 180* THE DISTAL END OF THE LEVER IS PROVIDED WITH A SLEEVE MEMBER THROUGH WHICH A SHAFT IS LONGITUDINALLY MOVABLE. MEANS ARE PROVIDED ON THE SLEEVE MEMBER TO RETAIN THE SHAFT IN POSITION AND IS MOMENTARILY RELEASED WHEN THE LEVER MEMBER IS PIVOTED TO TURN THE PAGE 180* TO ALLOW THE SHAFT TO DROP BY GRAVITY A SPACED DISTANCE AT WHICH POINT THE SHAFT IS REGRIPPED. A MAGNET IS PROVIDED AT THE   DISTAL END OF THE SHAFT WHICH FUNCTIONS TO HOLD A MAGNETICALLY ATTRACTABLE ELEMENT CONNECTED TO EACH SHEET OF THE MANUSCRIPT AT A LEVEL SPACED DOWNWARD FROM AND IN VERTICAL ALIGNMENT WITH A MAGNETICALLY ATTRACTABLE ELEMENT CONNECTING A PRECEDING SHEET. THE VERTICAL SPACING BETWEEN THE MAGNETICALLY ATTRACTABLE ELEMENTS ON ADJACENT SHEETS IS EQUAL TO THE INCREMENT THAT THE SHAFT IS LOWERED DURING EACH CYCLE.

March 1971 M. COSENZA 3,570,154

PAGE TURNING DEVICE Filed Dec. 2, 1968 2 Sheets-5heep 2 III,

VIII,

INVIL'N'IOR. MABEL CosE/vzA ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,570,154 PAGE TURNING DEVICE Mabel Cosenza, Lake County, Ind. (3543 Virginia St., Gary, Ind. 46409) Filed Dec. 2, 1968, Ser. N0.'780,437 Int. Cl. G09f 11/06 US. Cl. 40-35 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A page turning device and a manuscript for use therewith which comprises a stand for supporting the manuscript. Said stand carries a lever which is pivotally movable for cyclic operation effective to turn a page 180. The distal end of the lever is provided with a sleeve member through which a shaft is longitudinally movable. Means are provided on the sleeve member to retain the shaft in position and is momentarily released when the lever member is pivoted to turn the page 180 to allow the shaft to drop by gravity a spaced distance at which point the shaft is regripped. A magnet is provided at the distal end of the shaft which functions to hold a magnetically attractable element connected to each sheet of the manuscript at a level spaced downward from and in vertical alignment with a magnetically attractable element connecting a preceding sheet. The vertical spacing between the magnetically attractable elements on adjacent sheets is equal to the increment that the shaft is lowered during each cycle.

This invention relates to a page turning device and more particularly to a page turning device which automatically positions the page turning member at a different elevation for each cycle.

The page turning devices of the prior art include page turning members which are fixed at one elevational position relative to the pages to be turned. This gives rise to certain disadvantages resulting from localizing the point of contact with the pages at one position. Consequently, page turning devices which utilize elements attached to the pages for the purpose of co-operating or connecting to the page turning member are required to be attached to the pages at the same elevation, thereby increasing the thickness of the manuscript at that location. This results in an unsightly appearance, also if the manuscript includes many pages the planular surface of the pages become distorted to the point of malfunction ing of the page turning device with the attendant risk of mutilating the pages.

Accordingly, the object of my invention is to provide a page turning device which contacts each page to be turned at different elevations.

Another object of my invention is to provide elements attached to the pages of the manuscript at different levels to evenly distribute the increased thickness of the manuscript the length thereof.

Another object of my invention is to provide a page turning device which is simple and economical to manufacture and easy to operate.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a page turning member which moves automatically to a different elevation to positionally coincide with the element attached to the pages of the manuscript.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Patented Mar. 16, 1971 ice FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the page turning devic of my invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan elevation thereof;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation of the page turning device;

a FIG. 4 is a front view of the page turning member and the support collar therefor in section, in operative relation with the manuscript pages shown in fragment;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the page turning member, support collar and the connecting arm therefor in operative relation with magnetically attractable elements attached to the manuscript pages at spaced levels, the connecting arm and the manuscript pages are shown in fragment;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the page turning member taken along line 66 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the page turning member shown in fragment and the support collar therefor showing the escape latch in section.

Referring now to the drawings, particularly FIGS. l3 for the present, the page turning device of my invention is designated generally by the numeral 10. It comprises a book or manuscript stand 12 which is constructed to include a back rest 14, a top shelf 16 disposed substantially at right angles to back rest 14, and bottom ledge 18 normally projecting from back rest 14 for supporting the manuscript substantially upright on back rest 14. Spring clips 20 are also provided at the bottom corners of back rest 14 to maintain the manuscript covers in an open position. Numeral 22 designates an upright recess formed in the mid section of back rest 14 to accommodate, if necessary, the protruding back binding of the manuscript when the manuscript is in the open position.

One side of manuscript stand 12 is open ended to telescopically receive a right angle enframement 24 which serves to laterally extend back rest 14 and top shelf 16. Slotted apertures 26, 28 and 30 are provided in enframement 24 for alignment with holes in stand 12 at the one side thereof through which fastening means 32 are inserted for fixing the lateral position of enframement 24 relative to stand 12. Enframement 24 carries on the top side thereof a mount 34 provided with a hole therethrough fitted with set screw 36 in which is adjustably secured an L shaped bar 38 which serves as a trip lever.

The actuating mechanism for turning the pages of a manuscript is mounted on top shelf 16 of manuscript stand 12. It comprises a cycling member such as gear wheel 40 mounted on top shelf 16 for rotation. Drive member such as pinion 42 in meshing engagement with gear wheel 40 is connected to the shaft of electric motor 44 suspended from the bottom side of top shelf 16. It is understood, of course, that the cycling member represented as gear wheel 40 and drive member represented as pinion 42 are illustrative only and may be substituted with equivalent members such as pulley wheels or link members. Gear wheel 40 is provided with a radial arm 46 which is tubular in form to telescopically receive therein extension rod 48. Set screw 50 fitted in radial arm 46 serves to fix extension rod 48 at a select position. The end of extension rod 48 is formed to pivotally connect sleeve member 52. Swing lever 54 is pivotally mounted on top shelf 16 as at 56 and is also preferably tubular in form to telescopically receive at the end thereof extension bar 58 to selectively adjust the length thereof. Extension bar 58 is fixed in a select position by set screw 60 fitted in the distal end of lever 54. Sleeve member 52 encircles swing lever 54 for longitudinal sliding movement thereon. The end of extension bar 58 is provided with a collar or guide sleeve 62 disposed at right angle to bar 58. Guide sleeve 62 is adapted to carry shaft 64 parallel to back rest 14 and functions to turn the pages of the manuscript Electric switch 66 is positioned on top shelf 16 to be actuated by swing lever 54. Switch 66 controls the operation of motor 44 to stop the cycle of operation.

With reference to FIGS. 4-7, my invention accomplishes the sequential turning of the pages of manuscript M by providing clip elements formed from magnetically attractable material, connected to each page thereof. The clip elements which I designate generally by the numeral 68, may be surfaced on one side thereof with adhesive material to stick in place on the pages of the manuscript, or formed to be clipped or stapled thereon. Clip elements 68 are arranged on the pages so that each clip element is positioned on the vertical margin of the page at a level lower than the clip element on the preceding page. The aggregate of clip elements 68 for-m a vertical row on the vertical margin of the manuscript. Accordingly, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, clip elements 68 are arranged so that clip element 68a is uppermost on the first page, designated by numeral 70, clip element 68b is connected to the margin of the next page 72 at a level spaced below clip element 68a. Clip elements 68c, 68d and 682 are similarly posited on the next following pages in a vertically aligned row.

Shaft 64 is provided with a series of spaced indentations such as notches 74 between elevated sides, one side thereof being formed to provide a normally extending shoulder 76 and the other side thereof being formed to provide an incline 78. A retaining pawl device such as pivoted latch 80 is connected to guide sleeve 62 by means of pin 82 and is provided at one end thereof with a tongue 84 adapted to fall into one of notches 74 to engage its adjacent shoulder 76 thereby preventing the descent of shaft 64 through guide sleeve 62 further than one notch at a time. The other end of latch 80 is provided with an inwardly angled prop 86 to support the incumbent weight of shaft 64 until tongue 84 of latch 80 is moved inwardly by any convenient means such as a spring acting to pivot latch 80 back to its shaft supporting position, to engage shoulder 76 of the following notch 74. Prop 86 of latch 80 prevents the free fall of shaft 64 through guide sleeve 62 when tongue 84 is moved away from its engagement with shoulder 76, and in effect, causes a hesitation in the downward movement of shaft 64 sufiicient to allow latch 80 time to return on its pivot and proximately place tongue 84 for engagement with shoulder 76 of notch 74 following the notch 74 just released. Lateral projection 88 is provided on latch 80 to engage the upright bar of trip lever 38 which causes the pivoting of latch 80' against the bias of a spring and the disengagement of tongue 84 thereof from shoulder 76 of notch 74 allowing the gravity drop of shaft 64 to the next notch 74. A magnet element 90 is fixed to the distal end of shaft 64 and serves to magnetically hold each of clip elements 68 coming in contact therewith. The backside of back rest 14 is adapted to rest on a conventional manuscript stand such as music stant 92. Foot switch 94 is provided at the base of stand 92 for actuating motor 44 to initiate the page turning cycle.

In the operation of this invention: I provide the right hand vertical margin of each of the pages of manuscript M with a clip element 68 so that it is positioned at the highest elevation on the first page to be turned by the device of my invention. Each succeeding page is similarly provided with a clip element 68 thereon at a level spaced below the level of the preceding clip element a distance equivalent to the space between notches 74 of shaft 64. As many pages as are notches 74 on shaft 64 may be provided with successively lower spaced clip elements 68 thereon. Repeated series of pages may be similarly provided with clips 68 so that when shaft 64 reaches its farthest descent, shaft 64 may be raised to its uppermost position to repeat the gravity descent on the second, third, etc., series of sequentially clipped pages.

I then adjustably position the radial reach of magnet element 90 at the distal end of shaft 64 to radially coextend with clip elements 68 on the right hand vertical margin of the pages of the open manuscript M resting on book stand 12. Enframement 24 of stand 12 and trip lever 38 thereon are adjustably positioned so that the upright bar of lever 38 is radially extensive to engage projection 88 of latch against which latch 80 is made to pivot about its connecting pin 82. The combination of adjustably positioning extension rod 48 relative to radial arm 46, and adjustably positioning extension bar 58 relative to swing lever 54 will enable the application of my invention to manuscripts of varied widths.

With the above adjustments made, shaft 64 is raised to position magnet element on clip 68a of first page 70 to be turned. Foot control switch 94 is actuated to start motor 44. Gear wheel 40 is caused to rotate together with radial arm 46 connected thereto. Swing lever 54 is pivotally moved on pivot base 56 by means of the sliding connection thereof with sleeve member 52. The magnetic field of force of magnet element 90 will hold clip element 68a thereto and will cause page 70 to follow the radial swing of lever 54 to the opposite side of stand 12 thereby accomplishing the turning of page 70. At the end of the page turning, the radial swing of lever 54 may continue a slight amount to slide magnet element 90 from clip element 68a. At this point, lateral projection 88 of latch 80 engages the fixedly positioned trip lever 38, causing the pivoting movement of latch 80 and the consequential disengagement of tongue 84 thereof from notch 74 of shaft 64, causing the gravity drop of shaft 64 one notch. At this position, swing lever 54 starts on its return pivot swing and when gear wheel 40 completes a cycle, swing lever 54 is returned to its start position actuating stop switch 66 to stop the operation of drive motor 44. In its returned start position, shaft 64 had dropped one notch, and magnet element 90 is in contact with clip element 68b of following page 7 2 and magnetically holds clip element 68b preparatory for turning upon actuation of foot switch 94. This operation is repeated with successive pages until shaft member 64 descends to its lowest position. If the manuscript includes more pages than can be accommodated by a series of spaced clip elements 68 along the longitudinal margin of the manuscript, a second and third series of clip elements 68 may be started on the remaining pages. In this event, upon turning of the last page of a series, the user merely lifts shaft member 64 to its uppermost position to repeat the multiple page turning operation by gravity drop on the following series of clip elements 68 connecting the remaining pages.

While a particular embodiment of the present invention have been herein illustrated and described, it is not intended to limit the invention to such disclosure, but changes and modifications may be made therein and thereto within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A manuscript page turning device comprising:

a stand including a support for a plurality of stacked P a lever member mounted on said stand for reciprocat- 1 ing pivotal movement in an arcuate path across said support;

motive means for reciprocating said lever member;

a shaft at the distal end of said lever member;

means at said distal end of the lever member for supporting said shaft for longitudinal sliding movement in the direction of a side edge of a page;

means responsive to reciprocation of said lever, for

sliding said shaft incrementally, one increment for each reciprocation of said lever; and

means at the distal end of said shaft for engaging a side edge of a page.

2. The manuscript page turning device of claim 1 wherein said lever member and the side edge of said page to be turned are radially coterminal.

3. The manuscript page turning device of claim 2 wherein said lever member is pivoted by said motive means responsive to a voluntary operable switch and said motive means being interrupted by the cyclic return of said lever member. 1

4. The manuscript page turning device of claim 1 wherein said shaft is further characterized as being longitudinally movable by gravity.

5. A manuscript page turning device comprising:

a stand including a support for a plurality of stacked pages; an arm member mounted on said stand for radial rotation; motive means for unidirectionally rotating said arm member;

a lever member mounted on said stand;

link means connecting said arm member and said lever member for moving said lever in a reciprocating arcuate path across said support;

a shaft at the distal end of said lever member,

said shaft having detent means spaced along the length thereof;

means at the distal end of the lever member for supporting said shaft for longitudinal sliding movement in the direction of a side edge of a page;

means releasably engaging said detent means of said shaft,

said means responsive to reciprocation of said lever for releasing said detent means, one detent for each reciprocation of said lever; and

means at the distal end of said shaft for engaging a side edge of a page.

6. The manuscript 'page turning device of claim 5 wherein said shaft is further characterized as being longitudinally movable by gravity between consecutive detent means of said shaft.

7. A manuscript page turning device comprising:

a stand including a support for a plurality of stacked pages and a shelf;

said support and said shelf being laterally extensible;

a lever member mounted on said shelf for reciprocating pivotal movement in an arcuate path across said support;

the distal end of said lever member being longitudinally extensible;

an arm member mounted on said shelf for rotation;

motive means for rotating said arm member;

link means connecting said arm member and said lever member for translating said rotational movement of said arm member to said reciprocating movement of said lever member;

switch means volitionally operable for actuating said motive means;

a second switch means operable by the cyclic return of said lever member;

a shaft at the distal end of said lever member,

said shaft having spaced detent means along the length thereof;

means at the distal end of said lever member for supporting said shaft for longitudinal sliding movement in the direction of a side edge of a page;

means engaging said detent means of said shaft,

said means responsive to reciprocation of said lever for releasing said detent means, one detent means for each reciprocation of said lever; and I means at the distal end of said shaft member for engaging a side edge of a page.

8. The combination of:

a manuscript comprising;

a plurality of stacked sheets for providing sequentially ordered pages,

means connected to each sheet of said manuscript at a level spaced downward from means connected to a preceding sheet, in vertical alignment therewith; and

a page turning device comprising;

a stand including a support for a plurality of stacked pages,

a lever member mounted on said stand for reciprocating pivotal movement in an arcuate path across said support,

motive means for reciprocating said lever member,

a shaft at the distal end of said lever member,

means at said distal end of the lever member for supporting said shaft for longitudinal sliding movement in the direction of a side edge of a page,

means responsive to reciprocation of said lever, for sliding s aid shaft incrementally, one increment for each reciprocation of said lever, and

means at the distal end of said shaft for engaging said means connected to each sheet of said manuscript.

9. The combination of claim 8 wherein said shaft is further characterized as being incrementally movable by gravity to successively engage said means thereon to said means on each of said sheets.

10. A manuscript page turning device comprising:

a stand for supporting said manuscript in an open position;

a lever member mounted for reciprocating pivotal movement over said stand;

motive means for pivoting said lever member;

a shaft at the distal end of said lever member;

a sleeve member at the distal end of said lever member for supporting said shaft for longitudinally shifting movement in the direction of a side edge of a page;

shaft shift means on said sleeve member for retentively holding said shaft,

said shaft shift means being responsive to reciprocation of said lever, for shifting said shaft incrementally, one increment for each reciprocation of said lever,

trip means on said stand positioned thereon for engaging said shaft shift means for releasing said retentive hold thereof on said shaft; and

means at the distal end of said shaft for engaging a side edge of a page.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS ROBERT W. MICHELL, Primary Examiner L. R. OREMLAND, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

